Abstract: Vortex shedding behind circular cylinder, when placing single or multiple secondary, much smaller cylinders in the near wake of the main cylinder, was numerically investigated using overlapping grids in conjunction with a domain decomposition method for the compressible Navier-Stokes equations. The effortsof the present study were paid toward the influences of Reynolds number, the locations and the number of the secondary cylinders, upon the flowfield structures and their evolution for low Reynolds number. The existing of an optimal suppressive region over the vortex flow fields at low Reynolds number was discovered, regardless of the number of the small cylinders. When controlling cylinders are located at the optimal position, vortex street is completely suppressed and the flow achieves a quasi-stationary state; at the same time, substantial reduction of the net drag coefficient is noticed. In a way, vortex shedding suppression is comparatively easier for a larger controlling cylinder. It is also found that the vortex street suppression by two controlling cylinders can sustain to higher Reynolds numbers by comparing with a single cylinder.